7 social media marketing myths, busted

There’s nothing like a good debate to shake things up in any marketing department. Since our industry is constantly evolving and shifting, with new technologies that come to the fore and make us question all we thought we knew. What was common practice a year or two ago might well have been left behind – or worse – against marketing platforms’ terms of usage. Regardless, every industry has its myths that can only be busted through informative industry articles like this one. So, how many of these social media myths are you guilty of believing?

1. More social accounts equal success

Too many social media marketers make this mistake early on, hastily setting up business profiles on every social media platform they can name. There’s no point in wasting precious resources on marketing that doesn’t work. Pro marketers try a social account, see if it’s worth their while, and if not they pivot to another. It’s about quality over quantity.

2. None of your customers are on social media

A whopping third of people across the planet use social media in some way or form. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, TikTok, LinkedIn, and other social media platforms are used to stay in touch with loved ones, find new friends, discover trends, and engage with brands that market their products and services.

3. You must only post during the workweek

We get it; no social media manager wants to work on weekends. Luckily there are online programs that social marketers can use to schedule posts months in advance. The question is: when should you be posting? Many believe that Mondays to Fridays are the best times to post, but in actuality, most social platforms experience high traffic both on weekdays and weekends.

4. Your friends and family can grow your reach

There are times when it’s appropriate to have relatives and friends share your content, like when a business social account is first launched and you’re looking to attract a following. However, social media algorithms prefer posts that are engaged with a diverse audience. Social media marketers should instead build a following by asking followers to share content with their networks.

5. You have to respond to everything immediately

Facebook is one social media platform that shows how long a business typically takes to respond to enquiries. Brands don’t, however, have to try and keep that figure to an absolute minimum. Your followers get it: you’re running a business. It’s a time-consuming thing, which is why customers won’t mind as long as you get back to them in a reasonable time-frame.

6. Social media won’t improve the bottom line

Social media marketing is a proven lead-driving force, but don’t take our word for it. Hubspot reveals that companies using Twitter average twice as many leads as those who don’t. 62% of brands have gained a customer from LinkedIn, while 52% of businesses using Facebook say they’ve received leads from the social media platform.

7. Hashtags have to appear with every post

You’ve seen them. Social media posts with more hashtags than actual words. Some social media marketers think that more hashtags equal success, but this is not the case. Social media use hashtags differently, so it’s a good idea to include a few of them on Instagram posts – but too many on Facebook isn’t a good idea.

Clarity is key when educating oneself on any concept – especially things like social media marketing that is practised for the purposes of engaging customers and driving enquiries for products or services.

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